Varying The Gibbons-Hawking Term

In summary, the Gibbons-Hawking term is a mathematical concept used in theoretical physics to describe the quantum effects of black holes. It is a correction term added to the Einstein-Hilbert action, which is the mathematical expression for the theory of general relativity. The Gibbons-Hawking term accounts for the quantum fluctuations of particles near the event horizon of a black hole, and it plays a crucial role in the understanding of black hole entropy and the information paradox. Varying this term can lead to new insights into the nature of black holes and their role in the universe.
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The Gibbons Hawking boundary term is given as ##S_{GHY} = -\frac{1}{8 \pi G} \int_{\partial M} d^dx \sqrt{-\gamma} \Theta##.
I want to calculate its variation with respect to the induced boundary metric, ##h_{\mu \nu}##.

The answer (given in eqns 6&7 of http://arxiv.org/pdf/hep-th/9902121v5.pdf) is ##\delta S_{GHY} = \frac{1}{16 \pi G} \int_{\partial M} d^dx \sqrt{-\gamma} (\Theta^{\mu \nu} - \Theta \gamma^{\mu \nu}) \delta \gamma_{\mu \nu}##

My attempt to obtain this goes as follows:

[tex]\delta (\sqrt{-\gamma} \Theta) = (\delta \sqrt{-\gamma}) \Theta + \sqrt{-\gamma} \delta \Theta[/tex]
[tex] =\frac{1}{2} \sqrt{-\gamma} \gamma^{\mu \nu} \delta \gamma_{\mu \nu} \Theta+ \sqrt{-\gamma} \delta \Theta[/tex]
[tex] = \frac{1}{2} \sqrt{-\gamma} \left( \Theta \gamma^{\mu \nu} + 2 \frac{\delta \Theta}{\delta \gamma_{\mu \nu}} \right) \delta \gamma_{\mu \nu}[/tex]

I do not understand how to vary the extrinsic curvature, ##\Theta = \gamma_{\mu \nu} \Theta^{\mu \nu} = \gamma_{\mu \nu} \nabla^\mu N^\nu ##. Can anyone help me with this?

There is a post that explains how to vary the normal vector (http://physics.stackexchange.com/qu...ibbons-hawking-york-boundary-term/10628#10628) that is probably useful although it is varying with respect to the full spacetime metric and not the induced boundary metric but the end result looks the same so I imagine the technique is correct. I just do not understand how it works!

Thanks.
 
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  • #2
I would suggest expanding the summation over mu and nu and then applying the variation operator.
 

1. What is the Gibbons-Hawking term?

The Gibbons-Hawking term is a term in the action for gravity that was proposed by physicists Stephen Hawking and Gary Gibbons in the 1970s. It is a surface term that is added to the Einstein-Hilbert action and accounts for the contribution of boundary terms in gravitational systems.

2. Why is it important to vary the Gibbons-Hawking term?

Varying the Gibbons-Hawking term allows us to explore different boundary conditions in gravitational systems, which can have significant effects on the behavior and properties of these systems. It also allows us to better understand the role of boundary terms in the action for gravity.

3. How does varying the Gibbons-Hawking term affect black holes?

Varying the Gibbons-Hawking term can lead to modifications in the thermodynamic properties of black holes, such as changes in their entropy and temperature. It can also affect the equations of motion and stability of black holes.

4. Can varying the Gibbons-Hawking term help resolve the black hole information paradox?

There is ongoing research on whether varying the Gibbons-Hawking term can provide insights into resolving the black hole information paradox, which is a long-standing problem in theoretical physics. Some studies suggest that it may help in understanding the fate of information that falls into a black hole.

5. How is the Gibbons-Hawking term related to holographic principle?

The holographic principle is a concept in theoretical physics that suggests the information about a higher-dimensional system can be encoded on its lower-dimensional boundary. The Gibbons-Hawking term plays a crucial role in the holographic principle, as it allows for the inclusion of boundary effects in the gravitational action, which is essential for the holographic correspondence to hold.

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